Ingersoll Rand Recognition Systems Biometric HandPunch Reader Simplifies Season Passes at Martin’s Fantasy Island
“Handy” Solution for Season Pass Holders at New York Amusement Park
March 7, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAMPBELL, CALIF. – March 7, 2007 – – Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies today announced that Martin’s Fantasy Island, a family theme park in the hub of Northern New York’s Niagara Region and less than 10 minutes from downtown Buffalo, is using its HandPunch hand geometry readers to provide 100 percent verification of season pass holders. The biometric readers also prevent pass-backs, in which several people use the same pass to enter the park. HandPunch readers automatically take a three-dimensional reading of the size and shape of a hand and verify the user’s identity in less than one second.
“We previously used laminated cards for season passes,” reports Mike McGuire, customer service director for Martin’s Fantasy Island. “We discovered that some people were creating their own season passes to get into the park. Therefore, we needed to implement a more secure system.”
After Martin DiPietro park owner, consulting with Plasco ID (Miami, Fla.), Martin’s Fantasy Island decided to deploy BioParkPass, a passholder verification system that streamlines the process of tracking guests and uses hand geometry as the credential. The park ordered three hand readers, two to be used to register guests and the other at the front entrance gate for passholders to use.
“Today, when a season passholder arrives at the front entrance, they swipe their pass and then present their hand to the hand reader,” McGuire explains. “If they are indeed the passholder, a green light flashes and they are immediately let in. This gives us much better verification than the pass alone. It also speeds the passholder into the park quickly.”
According to McGuire, the biometric-based system has been very helpful. It gives a record on how many times the passes are used. This helps the park determine future costs of the pass since they can now determine use and which days are busier. With this information, they are able to better plan special events and promotions.
“We are looking at additional applications as well,” adds McGuire. “We feel that local residents use our water park, which is included with our admission, quite often over the summer. It will be interesting to track that. We’re also considering using the hand reader for our employees to punch in and out of work. This will reduce buddy punching, in which one employee clocks in or out for another, plus it will provide our employees with much more accurate time recording.”
Ingersoll Rand Recognition Systems was named a recent recipient of the Application Market Penetration Leadership Award for access control and time and attendance applications in Frost & Sullivan’s study, World Biometrics Market. Website is www.recognitionsystems.ingersollrand.com.
About Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies
Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies Sector is a leading global provider of products and services that make environments safe, secure and productive. The sector’s market-leading products include electronic and biometric access-control systems; time-and-attendance and personnel scheduling systems; mechanical locks; portable security; door closers, exit devices, architectural hardware, and steel doors and frames; and other technologies and services for global security markets. Website is www.securitytechologies.ingersollrand.com.
Ingersoll Rand is a leading diversified industrial company providing products, services and integrated solutions to industries ranging from transportation and manufacturing to food retailing, construction, and agriculture. With a 135-year-old heritage of technological innovation, we help companies worldwide to be more productive, efficient and innovative. In every line of our business, Ingersoll Rand enables companies and their customers to create progress.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For a downloadable, high-resolution photograph of the BioParkPass system used at Martin’s Fantasy Island, go to www.brighamscully.com. Click Photographs/Schlage Recognition Systems.
For more information…
Bashar Masad
SCHLAGE RECOGNITION SYSTEMS
408-341-4133
bashar_masad@irco.com
Tom Brigham
BRIGHAM SCULLY
818-716-9021
tbrigham@brighamscully.com
CAMPBELL, CALIF. – March 7, 2007 – – Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies today announced that Martin’s Fantasy Island, a family theme park in the hub of Northern New York’s Niagara Region and less than 10 minutes from downtown Buffalo, is using its HandPunch hand geometry readers to provide 100 percent verification of season pass holders. The biometric readers also prevent pass-backs, in which several people use the same pass to enter the park. HandPunch readers automatically take a three-dimensional reading of the size and shape of a hand and verify the user’s identity in less than one second.
“We previously used laminated cards for season passes,” reports Mike McGuire, customer service director for Martin’s Fantasy Island. “We discovered that some people were creating their own season passes to get into the park. Therefore, we needed to implement a more secure system.”
After Martin DiPietro park owner, consulting with Plasco ID (Miami, Fla.), Martin’s Fantasy Island decided to deploy BioParkPass, a passholder verification system that streamlines the process of tracking guests and uses hand geometry as the credential. The park ordered three hand readers, two to be used to register guests and the other at the front entrance gate for passholders to use.
“Today, when a season passholder arrives at the front entrance, they swipe their pass and then present their hand to the hand reader,” McGuire explains. “If they are indeed the passholder, a green light flashes and they are immediately let in. This gives us much better verification than the pass alone. It also speeds the passholder into the park quickly.”
According to McGuire, the biometric-based system has been very helpful. It gives a record on how many times the passes are used. This helps the park determine future costs of the pass since they can now determine use and which days are busier. With this information, they are able to better plan special events and promotions.
“We are looking at additional applications as well,” adds McGuire. “We feel that local residents use our water park, which is included with our admission, quite often over the summer. It will be interesting to track that. We’re also considering using the hand reader for our employees to punch in and out of work. This will reduce buddy punching, in which one employee clocks in or out for another, plus it will provide our employees with much more accurate time recording.”
Ingersoll Rand Recognition Systems was named a recent recipient of the Application Market Penetration Leadership Award for access control and time and attendance applications in Frost & Sullivan’s study, World Biometrics Market. Website is www.recognitionsystems.ingersollrand.com.
About Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies
Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies Sector is a leading global provider of products and services that make environments safe, secure and productive. The sector’s market-leading products include electronic and biometric access-control systems; time-and-attendance and personnel scheduling systems; mechanical locks; portable security; door closers, exit devices, architectural hardware, and steel doors and frames; and other technologies and services for global security markets. Website is www.securitytechologies.ingersollrand.com.
Ingersoll Rand is a leading diversified industrial company providing products, services and integrated solutions to industries ranging from transportation and manufacturing to food retailing, construction, and agriculture. With a 135-year-old heritage of technological innovation, we help companies worldwide to be more productive, efficient and innovative. In every line of our business, Ingersoll Rand enables companies and their customers to create progress.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For a downloadable, high-resolution photograph of the BioParkPass system used at Martin’s Fantasy Island, go to www.brighamscully.com. Click Photographs/Schlage Recognition Systems.
For more information…
Bashar Masad
SCHLAGE RECOGNITION SYSTEMS
408-341-4133
bashar_masad@irco.com
Tom Brigham
BRIGHAM SCULLY
818-716-9021
tbrigham@brighamscully.com